World Forensic Science Day: Frances Glessner Lee and the Nutshell Studies

Hi Woodsy

I just found this amazing video on You Tube. It is on the use of models – basically doll houses – as police training aids.

Perhaps a little macabre for Moonbase Central, but fascinating. Certainly of interest to anyone who watches TV shows such as Bones or CSI.

A lady named Frances Glessner Lee (1878-1962) made the doll house rooms in the 1940s and 1950s, to help train those investigating real crime scenes. To look for details, and consider everything.

She came from a wealthy family, with connections to the International Harvester farming machine company. She taught forensics, and was made a Police Captain for her work.

It turns out there are a number of videos on this impressive lady.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hdT8PgT19w

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tFP1zc0SsozqixMKjJg9FLNKy0pzkjNyVEoLilNyUwtVshPUyjNS60oyEnMzEtNUUhJTSzJAADqBBMH&q=nutshell+studies+of+unexplained+death&oq=nutshe&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDAgBEC4YQxiABBiKBTIPCAAQABhDGOMCGIAEGIoFMgwIARAuGEMYgAQYigUyDAgCEC4YQxiABBiKBTIMCAMQABhDGIAEGIoFMgcIBBAAGIAEMgYIBRBFGDkyDQgGEC4YrwEYxwEYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyDQgIEC4YxwEY0QMYgAQyBwgJEAAYjwLSAQk5NDg5ajBqMTWoAgmwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a8cbc024,vid:2-6ndwvK3UI,st:0

Wikipedia page on Frances Glessner Lee.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Glessner_Lee

Wikipedia page on the dioramas, or Nutshell Studies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutshell_Studies_of_Unexplained_Death

There are also two books on the Nutshell Studies.

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death, Corinne May Botz, Monacelli Press, 2004

18 Tiny Deaths, Bruce Goldfarb, Sourcebooks, 2021

There is also a book by Bruce Goldfarb called Unexplained Deaths, 2021 – is this the same as 18 Tiny Deaths ?

Once again, models play a role in the real world. I had never heard of this amazing lady before, but she deserves to be remembered.

Paul Adams from New Zealand